Red-Eyed Wrath
by Akyo Shiawase
Summary: While the ones who joined the Survey Corps dedicate their hearts to protect the human race, Syo prefers to use her abilities inside the walls and fight for the people in need. However, when her family is in danger she accepts to join the scouts and follows them to the outer lands, bringing with her the legend of the Red-Eyed Wrath.
1. Chapter 1 - Five Years Ago

**Chapter #1  
Five Years ago**

 _Year 845, Shiganshina district._

«Have you heard? It seems there is a masked hero running around Yalkell district», said the merchant, helping his colleague to unload the creates from the cart.  
«Yeah, I heard. The ones who saw her said she wears a black overcoat and a balaclava and her red eyes are scary enough to make the criminals run away. She also uses a three dimensional maneuver gear…»  
«Wait! "She"?»  
«So it seems».  
The two men brought the heavy box into the shop and put it down near the counter. One of them pulled out of his pocket a handkerchief and wiped away the sweat on his forehead, sighing with relief. «Finally, that was the last one. Let's take Betty back to the stable and then we can have a beer».  
«You really called that nag "Betty"?»  
«What? You don't like it?»  
They were about to step outside when a loud explosion forced them cover their ears. When the sound faded away, people started coming out from their houses to see what happened. The two merchant looked at each other in confusion, until a girl screamed. They saw her lift her trembling hand to point at the walls. A giant hand was holding on the top of Wall Maria.

«Syo? Syo, wake up!»  
The woman woke up startled and ungracefully fell from the hammock she was sleeping on. She sat up quickly, rubbing her head. «Ah! What is it? Oh, it's you Franklin…»  
The blonde, long haired man reached out a hand to help her get up while laughing. «Sorry cousin, but that was too funny».  
She scoffed but accepted his help. When she stood up, Franklin looked at her from bottom to top and giggled a little.  
«What?» she asked raising an eyebrow.  
«Nothing, it's just that you have become really big. How tall are you, now?»  
Syo sneered with pride and placed a hand right in front of his face, two fingers raised. «Exactly two meters tall! You envious, Frank?»  
«Of course not! I could never find clothes in my size».  
The two cousins walked together to Syo's house, a small mansion in the countryside just outside Yalkell district. Syo had inherited it from grandparents and she had moved there not long before to escape the noble life her father wanted for her. Sure, being a noble woman meant she could have had everything she wanted with a snap of her fingers, but it also meant to have strict rules to follow in order not to lose the honor of the family, having to entertain relationships only with other nobles, arranged marriages…  
What she hated the most about nobles was their ignorance and their greed. There had always been so many poor people begging for some alms around her family house but despite being covered in gold, nobody had ever given them some help. Only Syo, her mother and Franklin seemed to have some compassion for those unfortunate people. But there was another reason why she had left her family.  
Among the members of the Masaru family there were some recurrent physical characteristics that made them easily recognizable and that were exceptionally visible in her. Her skin was literally white, making her look like a ghost, and her dark brown hair and brown eyes seemed to turn crimson when struck by sunlight. Plus, she was very tall and strong. All those things contributed to make her look like a collector's item in her father's eyes. He was always trying to make her look more and more attractive to draw the attention of the most rich men of Yalkell looking for a wife for their sons. She still remembered how angry he was when she finally managed to cut her hair short.  
«I'm hungry Frank, wanna eat something?», Syo asked, opening the front door. Franklin peeked inside and saw the total mess his cousin lived in.  
«Syo, why is there a sock on the chandelier?»  
«Oh, that! Don't worry, I'll clean it up later».  
«Sure, later…»  
She held the door open for him and let him in. When Franklin entered the large living room he sighed, slapping a hand on his forehead. «Syo, you really have to clean this mess. Why don't we go get a broom after lunch and…»  
He stopped mid sentence when he noticed she was still outside. «Syo, are listening to me? What are you looking at?», he asked a bit worried.  
«Smoke…»  
Franklin approached her and saw her looking at something in the distance. He squinted his eyes and tried to follow her gaze.  
«Syo, where is the smoke? I can't see anything».  
«There», she said pointing at the distant walls, «to the South. I can barely see it but there is smoke rising from there».  
Franklin looked at her and he understood from her worried look that she was going to take the action. «Will you go check it?»  
«Yes. You can stay here as long as you want, I have to go».  
She ran inside, heading upstairs where her room was. There, she opened a big wooden chest placed at the end of the bed and pulled out a balaclava, a black overcoat and her uncle's old three dimensional maneuvering gear, putting them on quickly. When she was about to leave the room, the blonde man was standing in the doorway, blocking the way.  
«Syo, are you sure you're not going too far with this whole hero thing? Maybe it's just a small fire and the MPs are already taking care of it».  
«But what if it's not and someone needs help?», she asked with her voice muffled under the hood, going to the window and opening it. «I need to go and see if someone is in danger. Please, don't worry and wait for me here».  
With that, Syo leapt out of the window and smoothly landed on her feet while Franklin watched her run away, concerned.

A normal person would have taken much longer to get there, but Syo was certainly not normal. She arrived to Shiganshina running on the walls, just when the last boat full of citizens was leaving the district. Her heart missed a beat when she noticed all the titans wondering in the streets. Many people hadn't been boarded and those giant monsters were getting too close to them. Syo leapt off of the wall to the top of a bell tower and, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, she approached the nearest titan. The creature didn't even look at her, more interested in the people gathered by the river, and Syo used the grappling hooks of her gear to reach the back of its neck. Once she was up there, she tried to keep calm despite her racing heart and studied the nape. «Alright, here should be its weak spot. I hope I can…»  
She punched it with all her strength, passing through the skin with her hand up to the wrist. The titan stopped walking and let out an horrible scream before falling forward. Syo almost pissed herself when the giant body went down and hit the ground, making her loose her grip. She fell on the ground banging her shoulder on the paving of the street. The woman stood up immediately but as soon as she tried to move her arm, she had to hold back a cry. «Ah, fuck! I'll never do that again…»  
Massaging her shoulder, she turned to the river to see if the citizens were alright. They were all safe, looking at the unmoving titan with both fear and hope in their eyes.  
«Is… is it dead? Did you kill it?» asked a man, approaching her hesitantly.  
«Yeah, I think so». Syo turned to look at it just in time to see a huge hand moving quickly towards them. She jumped forward and pushed the man away, but couldn't avoid the titan's grip. In a matter of seconds she found herself being dragged by her legs towards a big mouth. She froze for a moment, her wide eyes fixed on the stupid and creepy grin on its face. She came back to herself when the titan tightened the grip around her and her first reaction was to beat her fists on the big hand but even though she could hear its bones creak under her punches, the titan didn't seem to be going to let her go. «Fuck! Why didn't I take the blades too? I'm a fucking idiot!»  
When she felt its hot breath against her skin, Syo lose her hope and closed her eyes but unexpectedly the titan loosened its grip letting out a wail, while someone grabbed her and brought her back to the ground. When she opened her eyes a man and a woman were looking at her angrily, while the titan lay dead behind them.  
«What the hell are you doing here alone?» shouted the woman. Syo didn't know what to say, but from the symbol on their uniforms she understood that those two soldiers where part of the Garrison.  
«Hey, did you hear what she asked you? Are you a soldier?»  
«Well, it doesn't matter now. Let's take her on the walls».  
«Wha… no!», Syo shouted, abruptly moving away from them. «We have to help these people!»  
«We can't, there are too many titans for us», tried to explain the woman, «and the Survey Corps can't fight anymore right now. All we can do is give the alarm to the citizens who live behind Wall Maria».  
At that moment a titan appeared down the street, running towards them. «Another one! Quick we have to… Hey, where did she go?»  
Before they could drag her away, Syo used the maneuvering gear to fly in front of the titan and draw its attention. «You two do your job and bring as many people as you can on the walls. I'll try to lure the titans away!», she shouted to the two unbelieving soldiers.  
Flying between the buildings she managed to attract some of the titans and lead them somewhere else, but unfortunately she couldn't distract them all and many were still walking towards the river. She looked back to see if the soldiers had listened to her and didn't notice one of the hooks missing the target. She didn't even realize she was falling until her body hit the pile of fishes on a market stall.  
«Ah, not again!», she exclaimed rubbing her shoulder.  
Seeing the titans coming, she fled in a nearby alley that led her to the main street. «What do I do, now?»  
Running out of the alley, Syo tried to figure out a way to help those people but she was quickly losing her calm. «Waaah! I feel so useless! All those people will be eaten and I can do nothing! I really haven't learnt anything from uncle Pierre! Gah!»  
In that moment she heard someone crying and saw a young kid pulling the sleeve of a woman whose lower body was crashed underneath a huge boulder, right next to a man. Syo felt a shiver down her spine. That wasn't the first time she saw someone dead, but seeing that made her sick. She looked away from the bodies and slowly approached the kid.  
«Hey, are you hurt?», she asked with a trembling voice.  
The child turned around sharply and ran to her, hugging her leg. «Help me! Please, help mom and dad!»  
Syo didn't need to look at them again to understand that there was nothing she could do. A loud step came from behind her and she didn't even turn back, just taking the child in her arms and flying away with him. With some difficulties she managed to dodge the titans that had grouped around them and reach the top of Wall Maria. From up there, Syo watched the people being eaten by those giant monsters and she could feel her heart shatter, knowing that in the end she couldn't do anything for them.  
She looked at the child in her arms.  
«What's your name, kid?» she asked with her smooth voice. The kid looked at her with his puffy, reddened eyes and Syo gave him a sad smile. For a moment he looked at her in silence, confused.  
«Fi… Filippo…»  
«Alright Filippo, you can calm down now», she said patting his blonde head, «we're going home».


	2. Chapter 2 - The Nightmere Starts Again

**Chapter 2  
** **  
The Nightmere Starts Again**

 _Year 850, Yalkell district._

«Now!»  
Two figures jumped down from the roof of the store, falling on top of the criminals who were threatening the owner of the place. Both were wearing a black overcoat and a balaclava that made them unrecognizable. One of them was also wearing a three dimensional maneuvering gear.  
When his fellows were knocked off, the third man was too surprised to do something and the shortest of the two mysterious individuals could hit him without any problem, causing him to fall unconscious.  
«Uh, good job Frank!» exclaimed the other one, clapping her hands.  
«Ah! Don't call me that!»  
«Relax, you're not the only "Frank" inside the walls. Nobody will find out who you are». The tallest figure walked to the store owner, who was still sitting on the ground in front of his shop, and knelt beside him. «Are you hurt, old man?»  
«N-no, thank you. Those bastards… they had been harassing me for weeks!» he answered, calming down.  
«Just these three? Aren't there any others?»  
The man stood up rubbing his head. «I don't know if they have other accomplices», he said before fixing his eyes into her scarlet ones. «You are her, right? The "Red-Eyed Wrath" who has been hunting and eliminating the most dangerous criminals of Yalkell for the past five years».  
The woman giggled a little and performed an elegant bow. «At your service, sir. We have to go now but we'll keep an eye on this area for the next few days, just to make sure no other scumbags come to bother you».  
She turned to her companion and motioned him to follow her but before they could leave, the old man called them back.  
«Please, wait! How can I repay you?»  
They turned to him, then looked at each other. After a few seconds the Wrath turned to the man once more and peeked behind him. «What do you sell in your store?»  
«Oh, I have many different products. Are you interested in something in particular?»  
«Yeah, do you have any books?»

When Franklin woke up the next morning he found his cousin already at work in the kitchen. «Good morning, Syo. What are doing?» he asked, taking the coffee pot from a shelf.  
«Here you are! What do you think?»  
Franklin watched her remove a beautifully decorated cake from the oven and place it on the table. Syo had always been very good at cooking, especially desserts, but this time she had surpassed herself. For this cake, she had prepared a rectangular base and then decorated it to make it look like an open book, with the inscription "Happy Birthday, Filippo!" on its sugar pages. «It's really beautiful, you put a lot of effort into it».  
«Course I did! Today Filly turns twelve, he'll have to choose what to do with his life. He always loved books and studying so he will probably go to high school… I'm going to ask that vet, Dr. Matin, if I can work with him as his assistant, so I'll be able to pay for Filly's schoolbooks with my own earnings. I don't want to use my parents' money forever.»  
In that moment, the boy appeared in the doorway, rubbing his sleepy eyes. «Good morning aunt Syo. Oh, uncle Franklin, you're here too!» he said, giving his uncle a quick hug. «Did you go to patrol last night?»  
«Yep, we saved some people and got this in return». Syo took the book that was placed on a chair and handed it to him. «Happy Birthday, Filippo!»  
The boy gasped, taking the gift from her hand. «Thank you, aunt! And you made a cake, too? It's beautiful!»  
Syo laughed and ruffled his blonde hair before sitting down at the table. While they were having breakfast together, she told her nephew about the adventures they went through last night. Filippo liked to listen to Syo's stories about her patrols with uncle Franklin and was happy to have such a cool aunt. Since when his parents died, Syo had taken care of him like he was part of the family and even if at times he missed mom and dad, he still felt lucky to live with her.  
He was leafing through his new book when Syo asked him if he had already decided which school he wanted to enroll in. He stopped flipping the pages and looked at her, sipping her coffee with that calm and happy expression on her face, and felt bad knowing he was probably going to make her sad. He closed the book and placed it on the table, taking a deep breath.  
Syo gave him a worried look. «Are you alright? Did I said something wrong?»  
«No, but… yes, I've already decided».  
«Good. So…?»  
«I'll join the Survey Corps».  
Franklin froze, giving him a deadpan look that made him sweat cold. Syo choked on her coffee and started coughing furiously, spitting it everywhere.  
«Ah, a-aunt!»  
Filippo got up scared and went to pat her aunt's back. As soon as she calmed down, Syo tried to look relaxed again and gave him an awkward smile. «Umh…Ah… T-The Survey Corps, you say? Well, that's interesting but… I thought you wanted to study literature or something like that. Why would you want to join the scouts?»  
«You saw it, that day…» he hesitated for a moment, then looked straight into her eyes and kept talking in a firm, serious manner that gave her the shivers. «We're not safe and we'll never be until there are titans walking out there. The Survey Corps is humanity's last hope and I want to help the scouts take back the territories those monsters stole us. One day the Colossal Titan and the Armored one will appear again to destroy Wall Rose, I know it and I want to be able to fight and help those people who can't protect themselves».  
Syo would have liked to retort someway but she felt like it wouldn't have been fair. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, despite her trembling hands. «F-Fine, it's your life and you're the one who chooses how to live it».  
«So you're telling me I'm allowed to…»  
«Yes…»  
And in that moment, while Filippo was jumping for joy, Syo and Franklin could feel their hearts breaking in silence.

Filippo left a month later to join the 107° Training Corps. Until that day Syo had helped him prepare for his departure acting cheerful and laidback as always, but Franklin could tell that she hadn't taken it very well.  
«Syo, how long are you going to lie there like that?»  
Syo lifted her head and looked at him with a creepy smile. «This hammock is very comfortable, you know? I think I'll stay here a bit longer». Sighing, Franklin rubbed his forehead. His cousin was a lost cause.  
«He's been gone for not even a day and you're already in crisis? Get a hold of yourself, please».  
«I can't help it!» she said, suddenly sitting up. «You know what happens to the most of those who join the Survey Corps?»  
«I do, but… Syo, he's a smart kid who would never throw himself into a titan's mouth. He'll be fine».  
«Are you sure?»  
Syo looked really down and he felt sorry for her. He was worried too but that was Filippo's life and they couldn't interfere in it.  
Franklin managed to drag his cousin back inside and convinced her to wear her patrol uniform. Maybe beat up some people wasn't the best way to cope with the departure of the kid but at least she could have distracted herself.  
«Where do you want to go first?» he asked her, leaving the house. The Wall Sina was just a few steps from there and every time Franklin left Syo's place, he took a moment to admire it in its impressive height. «We can go to…»  
Without saying anything, Syo grabbed her cousin, scaring him, and took him to the top of the wall. When she put him down, he quickly turned away from her, giving her an offended look.  
«Damn, Syo! You could have warned me that you were going to take on a flight, I've almost wet myself!»  
«Well, you should be used to it, now».  
Franklin grumbled and walked towards the edge of the wall to look down. The people of Yalkell were starting to come out from their houses and the merchants in the street were still arranging their goods on the stands. Looking better at the street below, Franklin noticed an old man with gray mustache walking with a bulky bag in his hand.  
«Hey, Syo! Isn't he that vet, Dr. Martin?» he asked, pointing at him. When Syo didn't answer, he turned to look at her, seeing that she was lost in her thoughts.  
«Syo…»  
«Uhm?»  
«Did you hear me?»  
«Eh? Oh, yeah! The vet…»  
She looked down as well, lifting up her balaclava to see better, and immediately recognized that ugly green hat. «Yes, that's him. He still has to give me an answer».  
«Really? It's been a month, now. He should have decided by now… Syo? Are listening?»  
«What?»  
When Franklin slapped a hand on his forehead in, Syo scratched her head with embarrassment. She knew she was just overreacting. It was Filippo's first day in the Training Corps, what could have happened to him? They certainly wouldn't let him do anything dangerous until he was ready, so she had nothing to worry about. «Sorry, Frank. I promise I won't get distracted anymore», she said with an awkward smile.  
«It's alright, I'll miss too».  
They remained in an uncomfortable silent for a few seconds but when Syo opened her mouth to say something, a loud sound in the distance cough their attention. There was column of white smoke coming up from behind the Wall Rose, near Trost district.  
«Syo, what… what is that?»  
«They're… back…»  
Franklin turned to her. She was staring at the smoke with wide eyes, a drop of sweat running down her temple. «Frank…», she said gulping loudly, «I'll take you back to my house. Leave your uniform there and go straight home».  
«What do you mean? Can't I came with you?»  
«No, Frank, not this time. Go back behind Wall Sina, it's safer there». She grabbed him again and jumped down the wall, landing in front of her house. Franklin turned just in time to see her fly on the wall once more and tried to call her back, but she ignored him. She had to get to Trost as soon as possible.


	3. Chapter 3 - Trost District

**Chapter 3  
Trost District**

When she arrived to Trost, the titans had already passed through the breach and were wondering between the buildings with their slow and heavy pace. Syo was observing the situation from the top of the wall when she noticed the crowd of people gathered around the northern gate, the only way out of the district, now blocked by a huge cart loaded with goods. She adjusted her hood and overcoat on herself and jumped down the wall, near to a woman with her child.  
«What's happening here?»  
She turned sharply, startled by Syo sudden appearance, and for a second just stared blankly at the hooded figure.  
«Let me guess… The cart got stuck and that idiot isn't going to let you pass until his stuff is safe, right?»  
«Ah, yes that's right. Are you in the military? Can you help us?»  
«I'm not in the military but I can…»  
A heavy step came from behind them. When she looked back there was a ten meters tall titan down the street that was walking slowly towards them. Syo apologized to the lady and flew away, heading towards it. The last time she had faced a titan was five years before, when she was still inexperienced and scared couldn't help many, but that time was different. She was stronger, more skilled and this time she had no intention to give up.  
She shot the grappling hook into the titan's left eye and using the gas pressure to reach the back of its head positioned herself above its nape. Dashing towards her target, she drew out one of her swords and held it firmly with both her hands but when she was about to strike, the titan turned to her, moving its nape away from her sight. When it opened its mouth she didn't stop or slow down, instead she increased her speed and kept moving forward, managing to stuck her sword into its throat. A red glow seemed to cross her eyes as she contracted her muscles, pushing the blade deeper and deeper until it passed completely through the neck and the big head detached from the body, falling on the ground. Syo reached a nearby rooftop and replaced the damaged blade quickly before rushing back to remove the last part of nape still attached to the titan. When the dead titan hit the ground she landed on its back and waited for it to move again. Nothing happened and the white steam coming from the open wounds made her guess that the battle was over.  
«Oh, I… I did it?… I did it!», she exclaimed jumping with joy. «Fuck yeah! I did it! I'm too strong! Ahah!»  
«Mom, is she… dancing on the titan corpse?», the child asked to his mother before she could reach out a hand to cover his eyes.  
«Yes, she's not from the military at all…»  
Her joyful dance was interrupted by two kids flying above her head. Syo stopped jumping around and looked at them, noticing the Training Corps logo on their uniform. She knew they were probably from the 104° or 105° Cadet Corps and that Filippo was somewhere safe with the younger recruits at that moment, but she couldn't help worrying.

The hooded woman hurried to follow the two soldiers trying not to being noticed, even though they were too focused on the street below to realize that someone was stalking them. Syo looked down as well, seeing how many soldiers, veterans and cadets, had already died that day. She looked up again, not willing to see all those bodies so torn apart any longer, and forced herself to stay focused on the two youths before her. One of them, a red-haired girl, pointed at a group of titans in the distance and said something to her comrade who moved fast in that direction, leaving the girl behind. The redhead followed him but was a bit slower and couldn't catch up with him. She had been lucky to stay behind because in the exact moment the boy flew above a block of flats, a titan popped up from nowhere and, using the building as a support, jumped and managed to bite into his lower body. The girl screamed, hitting its chest and falling unconscious on the roof below, where a surprised Syo stopped a moment later. She didn't know titans could jump, not that high at least. At first she stood still, staring into those vacuous eyes until a cry for help reached her ears and she saw the kid straggling to get out of the titan's mouth. She shook off the fear before it could overwhelm her and grabbed her sword, shooting the hook into the creature's forehead. Before she could reach fly behind it, the titan grabbed the boy by his upper body and with a quick motion tore him in two.  
Letting out a cry of rage, Syo lunged at its neck and decapitated it before it could grab the girl too. That time she didn't bother to cut off the nape completely and just ran to help the young soldier.  
«Hey, are you hurt?», she asked kneeling beside her. The girl sat up holding her forehead and looked around, confused, but when Syo was about to help her up she was already running toward the edge of the roof. Syo saw the cadet stare for a few seconds at street below, until her eyes widened in terror and she let out a scream.  
« Come back, kid! You can't help him! »  
She tried to stop her but the girl jumped down and went to her comrade's body. When Syo reached her, she was desperately trying to wake him up by shaking him by his shoulders, calling his name, slapping him as if she hadn't even noticed his missing legs. It was a horrible sight and Syo didn't know what to do but she had to take her away from there, somehow.  
When the woman grabbed her by her arm to pull her up, the girl slapped her hand away and yelled at her, so she wrapped her arms around her waist and lifted her up. The kid started kicking the air, making it more difficult for Syo to hold her. «Hey, stop! We to back on the roof!»  
«I can't leave him here! Let me go!»  
«I'll take care of him, you save yourself!»  
At that moment she heard a scream not far from there and got distracted, letting the girl escape. Syo quickly took a new blade and looked around, trying to understand where did it come from. There was nobody around there, except for them, not even titans.  
She turned to look at the girl, once again bent over the boy's body. «Kid, go back on the roof when you're ready. I'll be right back», she told her before flying away. Moving above the buildings she observed carefully every street below her, until she saw a man with a young girl in his arms running into an alley and hiding in a shop, while a small titan was chasing them.  
Syo drew out the second sword too and dashed towards it, thinking about her uncle's teachings. _"Slice its nape, an area one meter long and ten centimeters wide. I have to be precise but… I don't know if I'll be able to use two swords at once correctly…"_.  
She reached it just before it could get to the of the alley. The cut she made wasn't very precise and she was surprised to see titan going down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Syo ran to the shop and stormed inside breaking the door. «It's dead! Come out!».  
The man peered reluctantly from behind the counter and asked her if she was sure. He didn't seem so sure at first but when he saw the maneuvering gear she was wearing, he ran to her begging for help. Syo took the little girl from his arms and hung her on one shoulder, placing the father on the other one before taking them out with her. Heading to the evacuation point she passed by the place she had left that soldier, hoping to find her still there. Fortunately, another cadet had found her and was helping her up. Syo sighed in relief and turned to the man she was carrying.  
«What are you still doing here? Didn't you hear the alert?»  
«We heard, but my wife went to visit a friend this morning and didn't come back. I was looking for her».  
«And you took your girl with you?»  
«I told her not to but she still followed me!», yelled the man looking angrily at his daughter. The little girl turned away blushing.  
«It doesn't matter now. Where does your wife's friend live?»  
«Near the southern gate, the house with the yellow walls. I'm sure she's still there».  
Syo nodded, showing she had understood. «Alright, I'll see what I can do but first let's bring you somewhere safe».  
Suddenly, a loud sound of stomps came from behind them and when she turned back a titan was running in their direction. The three of them panicked and Syo lost her balance, having to stop on a roof to avoid falling down. They were sure the titan would have attacked them as soon as they landed but it simply passed by without even looking at them.  
«It ignored us?», asked the man, still hanging from her shoulder.  
«Yes, but… it's running towards the gate!»  
Suddenly a girl passed in front of them at high speed, reaching the titan and cutting off its nape before it could get to the crowd that still waiting by the gate. Syo gasped as the titan's body fell in front of the people, thinking for a second that it would have crushed someone. Despite being so young, that cadet had taken down a titan all by herself and with a single strike.  
 _"So cool…"_  
«Excuse me, miss. Could you please take us back on the ground now?»  
«Oh, yeah right…»  
Syo brought them down immediately, leaving them with the other citizens. She stopped there for a bit to reassure the kid that she would have found her mom and her presence didn't go unnoticed. Many people, including the soldiers, turned to look at her but she didn't care, more interested in the raven-haired cadet than in the people's comments on her balaclava.  
That strong girl had just jumped off of the titan and was stepping into the crowd. «What are you doing?», she asked pointing at huge corpse behind her. «My comrades are dying… You townfolks haven't finished evacuating, so we're fighting the titans and dying…»  
«That's natural! Isn't it your duty to "dedicate your hearts" to protect the lives and fortunes of the townspeople?»  
Syo turned up her nose as the owner of the cart, which was still blocking the way, stepped forward and started yelling at the girl. _"Seriously? What an asshole!"  
_ He kept shouting at her. «Don't be full of yourself just because you freeloaders are coming in handy for the first time in a hundred years!»  
Even though the girl was keeping a deadpan face, Syo could read the fury in her eyes. She stayed silent for a moment, then walked slowly towards him. «If you think it's natural for people to die for other people, then I'm sure you'll understand how your one precious life could save the lives of many».  
The man stepped back, leaning against the cart as to shield it. «Just try it! I'm the boss of this town's shopping district and I go way back with your employer! A single comment from me can decide what happens to a grunt like you!»  
The girl raised her sword and pointed it at the merchant's throat, getting a gasp from him. «How could a corpse say anything?»  
He didn't retort anymore, ordering his employees to move the carrier up. Syo couldn't help but smile at that defeated face of his. _"Uuuhh, I like that girl! Can I adopt her?"_  
A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. «Hey, from which division are you?»  
Syo jumped back instinctively but quickly recomposed herself. «Me?! Well… I'm a cadet and… ugh…»  
The soldier narrowed his eyes, looking closely at her with mistrust. «Why the hood?...»  
«It's a long story... long and boring so, if you don't mind I have to go back to my comrades…»  
«You're not even wearing your uniform…»  
Syo quickly adjusted her overcoat on herself to hide her clothing. Her heart missed a beat when the guy asked her name, a drop of sweat formed on her forehead while she was trying to think of a false one. When she was about to run away a boy emerged from the crowd pointing at her. «I know you! You're the Red-Eyed Wrath, protector of Yalkell district. I always read about you in the local paper when I go there with father!»  
 _"Oh, Godness…"  
_ «The Red-Eyed Wrath? I've heard about you. You came here to help then?», said the soldier looking more relaxed. Syo sighed between relief and desperation and nodded.  
«Yeah, that's what I'm here for. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go». She was going to leave but when she turned around, a small group of young fans had surrounded her.  
«You saved my cousin once, you know? I'm really grateful!»  
«Ah… you're welcome but could you please move now?»  
«Excuse me, miss. Can I shake your hand?»  
«Can't we talk another time?»  
«Miss! Can I ask you something?»  
While Syo was trying to escape from that small but suffocating crowd she could see the black-haired cadet fly away. Not wanting to lose her, she gave a quick pat on the head to everyone of those kids around her and hurried to move them aside. «Here! I have to go now».  
She followed the girl from afar, watching her slay every titan that stood before her. She was really strong, that was clear, and it would have been great to work with her. Even though she was strong too, Syo couldn't take down the titans and save a person at the same time.  
After a few minutes a bell rang and the girl flew away again, heading alone towards the city centre. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that didn't hear the hooded woman approaching her.  
«Hey, kiddo!»  
She turned around sharply, looking startled. «Who are you?», she yelled at her. The woman raised a hand and greeted her.  
«Sorry if I scared you. I know you are busy right now but can you please give me a hand?»


	4. Chapter 4 - The Abnormal

**Chapter 4**

 **The Abnormal**

«There! The yellow house!», Syo yelled at Mikasa, pointing at the building.  
Half of it had collapsed under a large boulder but there was still the possibility to find some survivor. She noticed two small titans behind the house, peering inside from a window, and turned to the girl. «Mikasa, right? There must be someone inside. Can you get rid of those titans while I'm going to check?»  
The girl nodded, maintaining her serious expression. «I'll take care of them, just be quick!», she said flying away, heading towards the titans. Syo waited for her to reach them before jumping down from the roof.  
Mikasa was fast and easily eliminated the first titan, attracting the other's attention and thus allowing Syo to reach the house undisturbed. When the woman tried to open the front door, the rubbles behind it were blocking the entrance. Not being able to enter from there, she moved to the window and broke the glass with a punch, opening it from the inside.  
«Do you see anyone in there?», the girl shouted, dodging the titan's hand.  
Syo leaned through the window and looked around the room, hoping to see something move under the remains of the collapsed roof. After a few, long seconds a soft groan came from behind the broken table. Her heart jumped with both joy and worry as she hurried to get in. «Yes, there's someone in here!», she yelled back at the girl.  
After killing the second titan, Mikasa stopped on the nearest roof to have a better look at the breach in the wall.  
«More titans are coming, hurry up!»  
«I'm here!»  
Syo suddenly appeared by her side with a fainted woman in her arms. Mikasa noticed how her breath was fast and labored and how her legs were bent in an unnatural position.  
«I have to take her to a doctor immediately», Syo said turning to the North, «I'll come back as soon as possible to help you».  
The cadet remained to watch her fly away to the evacuation point, wondering how that strange woman could help them. After all, she looked nothing like a soldier.

A bell was ringing in the distance when Syo passed through the gate. She found the little girl and her father waiting for her sitting on the ground, leaning with their backs against an old water well. The child jumped up as soon as she saw her and started running towards her, calling out for her mother. Her happy smile disappeared from her face when she was close enough to see the woman's condition.  
Syo was lay her down on the ground, trying to cover the woman's broken legs under her ruined skirt to hide them from the kid's eyes. The father arrived running, putting his hands in his hair when he saw his wife. «Sweet God! Is she…?»  
«She's alive. But she needs a doctor right now».  
After a moment of confusion, the man backed up. «Yes! Yes, a doctor! I know where to find one!», he exclaimed running away fast like lighting, disappearing inside a tavern.  
The little girl knelt beside her mother, shyly putting a hand on her forehead. «Will she be alright?», she asked with her trembling voice.  
Syo moved her gaze on the little one, who was staring at her with teary eyes.  
" _What should I say, now?"  
_ Judging from her difficult breath, it seemed that the woman's lungs were damaged and that wasn't something a doctor could easily fix.  
Holding back a sigh, she placed her big hand on top of the kid's head, gently ruffling her hair. «Don't worry, the doctor will take care of her». She didn't sound convincing at all but how could she tell a child that her mother was pretty much hopeless?  
When the father came back from the tavern, followed by two other men, she left the girl's side and quickly flew away, heading to the South. She didn't want to witness the moment when that little girl's heart would have broken.

Syo was flying over an alley, looking for the young cadet, when a war cry came from the street below.  
 _"Mikasa!?"  
_ Looking down, she saw the girl being trapped between two titans and immediately tried to go and help her but just before she could get to her, something unexpected happened.  
Syo was almost hit by its fist when the titan hit the other one, throwing it on the ground. She took refuge on a roof, from where she watched in astonishment as it started stomping on the other's neck. _"What? A titan… that kills another titan?"  
_ In that moment a boy appeared from nowhere and grabbed Mikasa, taking her to safety on the same roof where the woman was. The sound of their bodies hitting the tiles brought Syo back to reality. «Mikasa, are you alright?», she asked running towards them. The blonde boy turned to her with a surprised look on his face.  
«Armin, this is the Red-Eyed Wrath…», the girl explained him, «she says she can help us».  
He started intensely at Syo for some seconds, like he was trying hard to recognize her. «The "Red-Eyed Wrath"? This name… I think I've heard about you once but…»  
«Hey! We've gotta get a move on!»  
Another boy arrived in that moment on the roof, his swords already drawn as he pointed out at the two titans that were walking around there. «This doesn't look good. We've got two fifteen meters class titans right there and…»  
Suddenly, he noticed the hooded figure standing next to him and raised an eyebrow at her. «What's that mask? A new uniform?»  
Syo waved her hand at him, introducing herself as "just a person who wanted to help". Mikasa ignored that last exchange and turned to the boy. «No, Connie. That one titan…», she said pointing at it.  
When the titan found itself in front of the other, it roared out loud starting what seemed to be a screaming competition. As it raised its fist, Connie panicked and tried pull Mikasa up by her arm and drag her away but before he could do anything, a huge head was flying in their direction. The girl instinctively grabbed Connie and pulled him down with her. «Duck!»  
Syo threw herself on the other boy, sheltering him under her body just before the flying head passed above them, crushing against a nearby building. When she got up, Armin was holding his head with both his hands while groaning. «Sorry, did I hurt you?»  
«Ah… I…»  
He could give a proper answer because in that moment the strange titan stomped on the other's nape, killing it. «Did you see that?!», Syo asked to the others, who were all paralyzed by the shock.  
«It… finished the job!», Armin exclaimed in disbelief. Quickly, he got up on his feet to look at the giant corpse. «Then it _knew_ the weak point!?»  
Connie was sweating cold and clearly didn't want to stand there any longer. He turned his back to them and started walking away. «We've gotta move before it comes over here».  
«Yeah», Syo agreed, «it's not safe here. We should leave, now». She was going to follow the boy when Armin stopped them.  
«Look, it's ignoring us», he made them notice, «even though it'd normally be attacking by now».  
«I also sensed that it had a general idea of combat skills», Mikasa added, getting a confused look from both Syo and her comrade. «What the hell is it?»  
Connie was becoming annoyed. He grinded his teeth looking at the titan and then sharply turned away. «Well, all we can say is that that's one of the abnormals!», he said, clicking his tongue. «There's a lot more we don't know about 'em than what we do. But we gotta hurry over the headquarters, now! Everyone's fighting there!»  
«How are they doing?», Syo asked Connie. She didn't know the titans had already arrived there.  
«They were doing pretty well when I left but the titans are unpredictable, so…»  
«Yes, I understand». She looked the abnormal titan that was slowly walking away. «They really are… Well, let's go now!»  
«Wait! Mikasa is out of gas!»  
Syo and Connie turned in shock to Mikasa, who looked down to avoid eye contact. «Are you serious?! What are we gonna do if you're not there?!», Connie yelled at her.  
Syo immediately checked her own tanks only to find out that she as well didn't have much gas left. The three kids, who were staring at her hopefully, dropped their shoulder when she shook her head. «Don't worry, kids. I'm strong enough to carry _two_ of you at the same time and take you wherever you want me to!»  
«But if you're carrying someone, you can't fight», Armin said getting down on one knee. «What needs to be done is obvious. I don't have much left but…»  
He removed the gas tanks from his maneuvering gear and moved closer to Mikasa, asking her to trade with him. The girl looked scared by that request and protested when Armin replaced her tanks with his own. «There's no point in me having it», he tried to explain. «This time use it wisely, to save everyone».  
«Are you sure?», Syo asked him, worried.  
He nodded, taking a broken blade out of his gear's case. «Just let me keep this one. The one thing I want to avoid is to get eaten alive».  
Syo looked at Mikasa, wondering if she was really going to leave her friend behind.  
The young cadet's expression hardened as she stepped forward and took the blade from his hands and even though Syo didn't actually understood why she had to toss it away, she decided to stay calm and wait for her explanation before doing anything. To her, Mikasa didn't look like the type who would ever abandon a friend like that.  
Armin almost had a heart attack. Tears started forming in his eyes as he watched the blade fly off the roof and falling on the street. «Mikasa! Why did you that?»  
«I'm not going to leave you here». She said grabbing him by his arm and pulling him up.  
«Yeah!», Syo intervened. «As I said, I can carry you somewhere safe and then we can go and help the other cadets!»  
He looked at Syo and saw two red orbs shining under the balaclava. Once again, he asked her how she was going to defend herself from the titans while carrying someone. «Don't worry about that and just trust me!», she stated starting to run towards the other side of the roof, gesturing the cadets to follow her. «C'mon, kids! We're really going now!»  
Connie grabbed Armin by his wrist and everyone ran after Syo. They had almost reached the edge of the rooftop when the blonde abruptly stopped, much to Connie annoyance. «What's the matter, now?», Syo asked.  
«I have a plane!»

Syo lured another titan to the place Armin indicated to her, a few tens of meters away from the strange one that reacted as soon as it saw the other. She managed to avoid its attack but got distracted looking at the titans' fight and bumped against the chimney of a house, falling face down on the tiles of the roof.  
Mikasa arrived immediately and reached out a hand to help her up, asking her if she was hurt. «I'm fine, don't worry», Syo answered with an awkward laugh, getting up on her own.  
«Be more careful. You won't help anyone by getting hurt».  
From another building, Armin and Connie called them out. Apparently, the strange titan was heading to the headquarters on its own. It was time for them to reunite with the other cadets.  
Connie let the blonde climb on his back and flew after the titan, followed by the other two. When they were still far from the headquarters, they noticed a group of soldiers breaking through the windows of the palace and Armin pointed at them. «There they are! Let's follow them!», he shouted almost cheerfully.  
Syo sighed in relief, knowing that from that moment on she would have been able to protect those kid, but before they could reach the palace, they heard someone screaming. Looking down, they saw that a girl was having some problem with her maneuvering gear and couldn't fly, while a group of titans was getting close to her.  
Mikasa noticed how Syo had tightened her grip around the hilt of her sword and tried to calm her down. «Keep going! There are five of them and you don't have enough gas to...!»  
Syo turned to her and the brunette twitched when the Wrath's eyes seemed to glow unnaturally red. «I won't let her die! You go ahead!»  
She quickly turned around and shoot her hooks into a titan's back while the three kids could only watch her rush away from them.  
Syo cut the smallest titan's nape and landed in front of the girl who freaked out so much that she fell on her ass. «Climb on my back! I'll take you away from here!»  
The girl literally launched herself on Syo, clinging to everything she could.  
A bigger titan moved a hand towards them, encircling them with its big fingers, but the Wrath was faster than it. Spinning, she cut off its fingers and jumped on its arm while the girl on her back screeched in panic, pressing her face against Syo's back when she saw the creature's face getting closer and closer. The woman shoot the grapple hooks its eye and used the gas propulsion to flew behind its head, killing it just before another titan could jump on them.  
«Ah! We did it! Are you alright?», Syo asked, flying away from there. The girl muffled something, holding back a sob,. «Good. We're gonna break a window now, so hold on!»

Everybody was startled by Syo's sudden entrance. All the cadets kept staring at her while she was making sure the girl hadn't hurt herself with the broken glass. Armin and his friends ran up to her, asking if she was alright, while Syo calmly stood up. «The titan is already arrived, right?»  
Mikasa nodded, pointing out of the huge hole in the wall. «It's still fighting the other titans».  
A boy that was standing behind Mikasa stopped staring at Syo and turned to his comrade, asking her who the hell that woman was. «Jean, this woman here says she can help us».  
He looked at her again, noticed her attire and the unusual colour of her eyes and his jaw slowly dropped. «I… I know you… Are you?»  
Syo bent at him and introduced herself. «The Red-Eyed Wrath at your service, kids».  
The boy's eyes widened in surprise and he started stuttering. «The Wrath?! What… what are you doing here? I thought you only worked inside the inner Wall!»  
«You know her, Jean?», Connie asked tilting his head.  
«It doesn't matter now!», Mikasa interrupted them, stepping between her friends and Syo. «As I was before Red arrived, that titan is going to continue its rampage here and that's our best means of surviving! Let's go refuel!»


	5. Chapter 5 - Unexpected

**Chapter 5**

 **Unexpected**

«I-It'll be okay...»  
Connie made an effort to sound reassuring despite his trembling voice. «That one's stronger than the average titan. As long as it's throwing down with the other ones, this building itself should be relatively safe».  
A blond, short haired boy jumped towards him. «How much do you know about that titan?», he demanded to know.  
The kid twitched a bit under his darting gaze and furrowed his brow in confusion. «Shouldn't we talk about that after we're out of harm's way, Reiner?»  
The big guy flushed lightly. He rubbed the back of his neck and giggled nervously. «Yeah, you've got a point».  
In the meantime, Syo was observing the scene from a corner of the room, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed on her chest. She hadn't done much since they had entered the headquarters. The soldiers had told her to let them look for the rifles on their own since they already knew where to look but she didn't like to stay aside and do nothing. She felt useless.  
A long sigh escaped her mouth as she turned to watch the other cadets trying to move the elevator down from the upper floor, as Armin had asked them to do.  
" _What is that kid thinking now? I don't see how rifles can be useful against titans…"  
_ She was sighing again when a light touch on her shoulder informed her of Mikasa's presence. The girl was standing by her side, staring at her with her usual poker-face. She pointed at small group on the other side of the room. «Hey Red, Armin's going to explain his strategy. You should come».  
Syo gave her a quick nod and lazily pushed herself away from the wall, following the girl.

Armin was running his index finger across a map, lost in his thoughts, when the woman abruptly knelt down beside him. The boy squealed in surprise.  
«So, what's the plan? Are we going to cut their neck with the bayonets or something?»  
He stammered. «Not… exactly».  
«Yeah! Bullets can't do much against a titan», Jean stated putting a box full of rifles down next to them. «What are we gonna do?»  
Armin gave him a pitiful look before moving his eyes on the ground and Syo thought that they probably weren't going to like what he was about to say. «We can incapacitate the seven 3-4 meter class titans in the supply room», he started, pointing again at the map. «First, we'll use the lift to lower the most of us from the ceiling. Next, the people on the lift will fire at the titans' faces simultaneously, blinding them, and then...»  
He paused and raised his head to look at his comrades, one by one. Syo could see Mikasa fidgeting under his gaze. After a brief moment of hesitation, Armin continued.  
«Seven people hiding near the ceiling will swoop down and slash the titans' vital spot. In other words, everything rides on this one attack. All of our lives are at stake». He turned to the woman crouched next to him with that apologetic expression still on his face. «The seven people with the most athletic ability probably have the best chance to strike home, so they'll do the job… I'm sorry they'll have to bear the burden of everyone's lives on their shoulders».  
Syo placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to reassure the boy with her smile. He was very smart but clearly lucked in self esteem. «Don't worry, kid. We'll be fine».  
«The risk is the same, no matter who does it», a short girl with blond hair added. Her tone was firm and her hard eyes pierced into Syo's, almost threatening.  
The woman felt enchanted by that strong, icy glace and forgot to loosen her grip on Armin's shoulder. The boy, who was starting to feel uncomfortable, eventually moved away from her. He clenched his trembling fist, bringing it to his forehead. «But… is my plan our best option?»  
«Do you see any alternative?»  
Syo found the look of confusion he gave her really cute and for a moment she was reminded of Filippo. Yes, that was the same look her nephew gave her everytime she revealed him that she already knew what he and his friends had done to the neighbour's garden.  
The freckled boy knelt at Armin's side rubbed his nose as to hide his disquietude and turned to his friend. «She's right, we don't have any other options. We're all tapped out of ideas».  
«Be a little more confident, Armin. This is a good plan», Syo encouraged him.  
«Do you really think so? I don't know...»  
«Yes, Armin!», Mikasa intervened. The boy jolted a little when she moved closer to him. «You have the ability to lead people where they need to go. That ability has saved my life before, not to mention Eren's».  
He didn't get to reply because another soldier came announce that the lift was ready and the guns loaded. Everyone hurried into action and Syo followed the ones who would have eliminated the titans. She was going to make sure that nobody got injured.

Walking down the stairs, the kids tried to lighten up the mood. «Length one meter, width ten centimeters!», exclaimed Sasha happily, proud of her own knowledge.  
Reiner giggled and lifted his sword. «Or you can stick this up their assholes! That's their only other vital spot!»  
Sasha and Connie didn't notice the sarcasm and believed him like idiot, forcing Syo to hold back a laugh.  
When they were downstairs, everyone shut up immediately and started to climb onto the ceiling boards. Syo noticed how Sasha seemed to have difficulty getting up on her own and went to help her. She suddenly picked her up, making her panic. «C'mon, get up!», Syo said, practically throwing her into the air. «I got your back!»  
The girl managed to hold onto the board and muttered an awkward "thanks", while Syo climbed behind her.  
They sneaked into the supply room, where the titans didn't seem to have noticed their presence. They didn't react even when the lift came down from the upper floor and the soldiers on it had the time to get in position, aiming the rifles against the big faces around them.  
After a few, long seconds of calm a first titan sharply turned to the lift and Marco had to stop his scared comrades from shooting, already. Behind Sasha, Syo could feel every fibre of her muscles tensing up, ready for action.

«Filippo, where are you going?»  
The blond kid adjusted the maneuvering gear around his hips and ignoring his friends. «Do you want to be sent to till the soil until the day of your death? We can't touch that gear!»  
Filippo shook the girl's hand off of his shoulder. «Don't worry and just go back to the barracks. I need to go check a thing», he said pulling the handles of the swords out of their cases, then turned to look at the smoke columns coming from the other side of Wall Rose.  
«What do you need to check, there? How a titan's stomach looks like from the inside? It's dangerous!», the girl yelled at him but Filippo was ready to fly away. She reached out a hand and grabbed him from the collar. «Fillieee...»  
«Stop it, Wynonna. My… a friend of mine is there, I'm sure about this, and she is probably facing the titans right now».  
The girl passed a hand through her red curls and sighed, refraining from yelling at him again. When that boy had something on his mind, nothing could stop him. «And what will we say when the instructors come back and notice your absence?»  
«Tell them I went to the bathroom». With that, the boy ran away leaving the two girls behind.  
The other girl, who had remained silent until that moment, grabbed Wynonna's wrist. «What should we do, now?», she asked her, small and trembling like a wet little chick. Her friend turned to her and, arm in arm, led her back to the barracks. «Nothing Clara, let's just go back for now».

«Fire!»  
At Marco's signal, a shower of bullets hit the titans' eyes and everyone but Syo jumped down from the ceiling to kill those monsters before they could gain back their sight. From up there, she observed carefully every single movement of the cadets.  
The titans fell on the ground one after the other, the plain seemed to proceed as expected, but then she noticed that two titans were still standing on their feet. The woman instantly lunged at the nearest one before it could reach Sasha and stuck her swords in its eyes. The girl run away before the giant body could crush onto her but tripped and fell on the ground, giving the titan enough time to locate her.  
Before Syo could take out a new pair of blades, Mikasa and Annie surpassed her and easily took down the two creatures.  
While Sasha ran to hug Mikasa, crying like a baby, Syo sighed in relief and looked around to see how the others were doing. Everyone seemed to be fine and every other titan was lying on the ground in a white cloud. Finally, they had regained control of the headquarters.  
«They've all been put down!», Jean yelled triumphant. «Now we can focus on stocking up!»  
Everyone was seized with euphoria, running up and down the room to get all supplies they could, Syo too. She had some more blades and gas tanks left at home, but who could know when she would have used them again? And since her uncle Pierre had died, nobody had passed her those kind of supplies, anymore.

Tethering an extra couple of tanks to her belt, she let the younglings hop out of the windows before her. Only Mikasa and Armin were still waiting for her. «Didn't you take enough supplies, already?», the girl asked, placing a foot on the windowsill.  
«I'm almost ready. You can just go on without me if you want».  
She turned to look out of the window and Syo continued what she was doing, until she heard her gasping. The brunette had tensed up all of a sudden.  
Syo asked her what happened but Mikasa didn't answer and flew away before the woman could get closer. She turned to Armin but he appeared as confused as her. After Syo had adjusted the balaclava on her face, she and the boy followed her on the roof, where she was staring at the small square in front of the building. «Mikasa, what's going on?»  
Syo peered over the edge of the roof to see what the girl was looking at. Down there, the titans had managed to block the abnormal and were proceeding to eat it. Mikasa looked disappointed. «I thought that if we can somehow solve the mystery of that titan, it could become an opportunity to help us find a way out of this situation, but...»  
She didn't need to finish her sentence, they had understood perfectly.  
«I agree!», Reiner exclaimed landing on the roof with some of the other cadets. «If it gets eaten, this whole thing will end without us understanding a damn thing!». He wanted to go and help the titan out but Jean stopped him and the two of them started arguing whether or not they should have intervened or just run away while they still could.  
Syo would have wanted them to leave and let her take care of it but before she could say anything, Armin's voice caught everyone's attention. «Look, that's the one who ate Thomas!»  
Suddenly, as if the abnormal had understood his words, it turned towards the other titan and lunged at it.  
Syo jumped back and stood in front of the kids. «Ah! It's back, be careful!», she warned them, fearing that some titan heads might fly towards them, and the soldiers didn't seem too happy about that woman constant protectiveness.  
The strange creature sank its teeth into the other's neck and threw it against a nearby building, letting out a loud cry. It looked like it was back at it, ready to fight again, but after a few moments it collapsed on the ground in cloud of vapor.  
«Is… is it dead?», the woman asked seeing the white smoke coming out from its nape. She moved to the edge of the roof to have a better look and saw something strange inside the wound that had opened on the back of its neck. It looked like something was moving in there.  
She couldn't believe her eyes when a human form popped out of the titan. «There! There's someone in there!»  
Mikasa ran past her, hitting her side and almost stumbling over her own feet in the process, and jumped off of the roof.  
Jean stepped forward and remained even more shocked then Syo at that sight. «That's Eren! He was inside the titan!»  
Syo didn't exactly know what was going on anymore and just watched as the raven girl climbed on top of the giant body and clung to the boy that had just appeared out of it, crying desperately.  
When someone called her, it took a moment for her to come back to reality. She shook her head and turned to the cadets. «Yeah?»  
They were all looking around them, confused. «We didn't talk», Reiner said.  
«What? But I just heard...»  
The voice repeated itself and didn't seem to come from the group. Connie lifted his eyes to the top of a near bell tower and pointed at it.  
There was a blond kid with a cadet uniform that was waving at them.  
Connie opened his mouth to ask who was that child but was interrupted by Syo's awkward screech. Everyone turned to her and saw the fear in those reddish eyes. Lucky for her, the balaclava hid her terrified expression from their sight.  
" _Damn kid! What the hell is he doing here?..."_


	6. Chapter 6 - Mistake

**Chapter 6**

 **Mistake**

«Did you seriously...?»

The woman's tone was growing angry. He knew he had been stupid to go there on his own and was too embarrassed to look at her in the eyes. «But I was worried. I couldn't just wait at the barracks...», he still tried to excuse himself. Even though he knew he had made a mistake, he didn't want her to hate him.  
«Yes, you could!», Syo raised her voice, risking to alert the people passing by the alley. She took off her balaclava to have him see her threatening face and was about to scold him more when the boy looked up at her with his sad, big blue eyes. Her heart pounded in a, unfortunately, very familiar way.  
Her voice started cracking until it became a mere squeak. The accusatory finger that was pointing at the boy slowly dropped by her side and she didn't know what to say anymore. Apparently, she was still not strong enough when it came to that kid.  
«Fillie, you know that that was a very dangerous thing to do», she said after a deep breath, «and I'm positive you also know that you're not skilled enough to kill titans, yet. You wouldn't have been of much help».  
Filippo looked down and started to nervously twist the hem of his shirt, appearing so pitiful in his aunt's eyes.  
Syo knelt down in front of him, gently placing a hand on his blond head. «Please Fillie, don't go in a titan infested territory ever again until you're a strong, graduated soldier, alright? I really wouldn't want to see you being crunched up like an appetizer».  
Her soft smile was enough to calm the boy down. He shoved her hand away with a small giggle and solemnly promised to never put himself in danger again.  
The woman looked satisfied with that and proceeded to check his gas tanks. «Do you have enough gas to get back to the barracks?», she asked the boy who answered with a quick nod. «Good. Now go before something else happens».  
But before Filippo could say "goodbye", a loud roar could be heard not so far from their position.  
They both jumped for the surprise. As soon as Syo recovered from the the fright, she ran to peek around the corner and saw smoke coming up from behind the buildings under the wall.  
" _Ugh, really? How much more smoke will I have to breath today?"  
_ Filippo came up behind her to have a look but Syo grabbed him and spinned him around, turning him in the direction of the barracks. «Go now! And try not to get caught by your instructors».  
Filippo flew away without complaining and Syo put back on her hood, heading towards the area of the explosion.  
Neither of them noticed the two figures that were observing them from the other end of the alley.

When she arrived at the wall, Syo found the Garrisons aiming their rifles at a large steam cloud before them, a terrified expression on their faces. She recognized their Squad Leader immediately because she had heard Mikasa and Armin talking to him before she left with Filippo, but also because he seemed to be the most tense among the soldiers.  
«What's happening here?», she asked landing by his side, giving him a heart attack. Everyone turned to her in shock and some turned their guns to her. She ignored them and kept looking around for the younglings.  
After a few seconds of confusion, the bearded man started to yell at her. «Who are you and what are you doing here?»  
«Where are the kids?»  
The man blinked for a moment and then yelled again. «Are you an accomplice of that monster, too? Is that why you're hiding your face?»  
While he went on rumbling, the woman looked at that white smoke and saw that there was something in there. «They're in the vapor, right?», she asked moving forward.  
Nobody dared to stop her when she run into the white cloud. Only a woman demanded to the Squad Leader to do something but to no avail.

Advancing in the vapor, Syo could feel the heat increasing slowly but couldn't see where she was going. She fumbled in there for a while, calling for the cadets, until she heard a familiar voice calling her back. «Kids, is that you?»  
«Syo, to the right!», Armin's voice guided her. She took a step to her right and finally, she saw three figures hiding under a strange, large structure that she didn't immediately recognize.  
«Found you! And seems like your friend is awake, now!», she exclaimed kneeling beside them. Only in that moment, looking up, she noticed the giant body towering over them and felt a shiver down her spine. «What… is this thing?»  
«It was me».  
Syo looked at him, astonished. «You? How?»  
The boy looked at his friends and began to explain. «Earlier, I was just thinking that I wanted to protect them from the artillery fire. I instinctively bit my hand and this titan body appeared, but it just crumbled».  
Armin's forehead wrinkled as he intensely stared at his friend. Syo could almost hear the gear wheels working inside his head.  
The woman turned to the other boy and her eyes widened when a trail of blood began to drip out of his nose, a spark of madness flashed in his eyes. «This time, I'll try for a more powerful one», he said in a raspy voice, bringing his hand closer to his mouth. When he started panting, Syo opened her mouth to tell something but Mikasa preceded her.  
When the girl made him notice his bleeding nose, he looked confused. He touched his upper lip and brought his finger in front of his eyes to look at the blood. «Kid, you're pale and your breathing is ragged», Syo said calmly. «You should rest a bit, now». When she placed a hand on his shoulder, the boy give her a giddy look.  
«Yeah!», Armin jumped up. «That thing you do obviously screws up your body».  
Eren rubbed a hand under his nose to clean his face and looked at the others with determination. «I don't give a damn if I'm in a bad shape. Right now, I have two ideas».

At the limit of the city, Filippo lost his balance and had to land on the street. Once on the ground, he quickly hid in a nearby alley before anyone could see him. He clenched his teeth in anger and slapped his leg so hard it left a bruise. «Dammit! I still can't use this gear right. What would aunt Syo think?...»  
Suddenly, he heard someone calling him and a man in a black cloak appeared behind him. Filippo was about to run away when he recognized that mysterious outfit. «Uncle Frank? Is that you?»  
The man took off his dark hood and walked up to the boy. «What the hell are you doing here?»  
Filippo let out a relieved sigh and leaned against the wall. «I wanted… to help aunt Syo». He rolled his head back and closed his eyes, waiting for being told off again. In that awkward silence he could feel his uncle's incredulous gaze weighing on him.  
The man blinked a couple of times, incapable to believe that such a smart kid could have really done something so stupid, but then he remembered: no matter how smart, that in front of him was still a child.  
«Fillie, did you find her?»  
«Yes. She's fine… and she has already scolded me».  
When Franklin knelt down beside him, Filippo looked away, embarrassed. He felt really guilty. «Can you go back to the barracks without being seen?», he asked him. He didn't know if he was more mad or worried, but the kid seemed to have already understood his mistakes and Franklin didn't find it necessary to give him another lecture.  
The boy nodded shyly. «Yes, all the instructors are busy because of Trost, right now. I don't think they'll notice me».  
«I hope so. Anyway, if they do...»  
Franklin stopped in mid-sentence when he heard a noise behind him. Before he could turn around, he felt something hard hitting the back of his head and his vision went black. The last thing he heard was Filippo's cry.

Armin was standing in front of the soldiers, his right hand on his heart and the other one behind his back, saluting. The Squad Leader stared at him for a few moments, then ordered his soldiers to get in position. Apparently, Armin's speech hadn't worked as he hoped, they were still going to kill them.  
When the man raised his hand above his head, Syo stood up and drew out her swords, positioning herself in front of Eren. «Mikasa!»  
The girl jumped up next to her, ready to fight. Watching as the man's hand slowly started to move down, Syo instinctively contracted her legs muscles. She was ready to grab the kids and run but before she could act, someone intervened to save them.  
A wrinkled old man came up behind the Squad Leader and grabbed his wrist. «You never change, Kitz. For a man your size, you're as delicate as a fawn».  
Kitz turned looked at him with surprise and let the other lower his hand without protesting. «Commander Pixis?!»  
«I'm putting you in command of the reinforcements», he stated moving his gaze to the four figures surrounded by the soldiers. «I have a feeling that it would be worth our while to listen to what these kids have to say». He glanced at Syo with sly eyes, curling his mustache between his fingers. «And you… you must be the Red-Eyed Wrath. I have heard a lot of stories about you», he stated walking calmly towards her, while Kitz was begging him not to get too close.  
Syo lowered her swords but remained alert. There were people who didn't approve the Wrath's work, so she could never be sure when someone was approaching her to compliment or to stab her.  
«My men and women told me they saw you running around Trost, today. You helped the cadets...»  
He was right in front of her now and she could smell the alcohol in his breath when he sighed. «You know, a friend of mine is really interested in you. Maybe a bit too much. Actually, he has been looking for you to make you a proposal».  
He looked up at her with a smirk that made Syo feel a little creeped. «Ah… Sorry but I'm not interested. I don't even know him», she said raising her hands.  
«Not that kind of proposal, you silly!», he laughed out loud. «A collaboration proposal!»  
Syo frowned, scratching her chin. «Well, as curious as I am, I cannot accept any kind of proposal. Mine is a very… delicate job. I can't cooperate with someone I don't know well».  
That wasn't just an excuse. She couldn't allow anyone to get close to her, or else they might find out her true identity. Her family was pretty famous in Yalkell and anyone could track it down.  
«But you could at least make the effort to listen to him! I assure you it won't be boring».  
The woman crossed her arms on her chest, letting out a heavy sigh. «If he really longs to meet me that much I could even drop by and say "hello", but I can't promise anything».  
When Syo saw some soldiers going to check on Eren and his friends she tried to follow them but a rough hand fell heavy on her shoulder, stopping her. She turned back and saw his hardened expression. «Seriously, though. You should really listen to him when he comes back from the battlefield», the Commander said in a more serious tone.  
Those last words caught her attention. _"The battlefield? That means that that guy's in the Survey Corps. Could it be… he's so interested in me because knows something? But uncle Pierre would never…"  
_ «So?»  
His voice brought Syo back to reality. She shook her head to dispel her thoughts and stepped back. «Yeah, fine. When he's back, I'll talk him. Now please, excuse me». With that, she turned away and run to the kids.  
" _Could it be that uncle Pierre had told something to his comrades before dying?"_

Franklin struggled to open his eyes, his eyelids being unnaturally heavy, and it took a few minutes for his blurry vision to come back to normal. He was still in that dark alley, lying face down in the dirt. Around him everything was quiet.  
He placed his palms on the ground and pushed himself up but his head was pounding and hurting, making it extremely difficult for him to sit up straight. Once he was sitting against a wall, he brought a hand to the back of his head where he could feel something wet dripping down along his neck. It hurt.  
He took his long ponytail and moved it before his face where he could see it better. Instead of the usual golden color, he saw red.  
He watched silently as a crimson drop fell from his hair and stained his trousers, slowly remembering.  
Someone hit him from behind while he was talking to Filippo.  
He shivered at the sudden realization, frantically looking around at the surroundings. «Fi… Filippo?»  
No answer, the kid was no longer there with him. He used an old crate nearby to stand up but the dizziness caught him for a second and made him fall on top of it. Using all his strength he got back on his feet again and, step by step, supporting himself against the wall, he walked out of the alley.  
The street was desert. He called Filippo again but the vibrations of his own voice made his head hurt even more.  
He didn't know what to do. Someone had just taken his nephew away and he couldn't do nothing to save him. If something ever happened to that kid, he would have never forgiven himself. And Syo would have surely killed him.  
Exhausted, he went back to sit on the crate, grumbling angrily with his head in his hands. When he thought he would have never found Filippo in time to save him, his gaze fell on his pocket. Someone had put a piece of paper in there.  
He took it out and brought read it. On that wrinkled note, in a hasty handwrite, there was a message for the Wrath.


	7. Chapter 7 - Old Enemies

**Chapter 7  
Old Enemies**

«I really wouldn't mind being eaten, as long as it was by a stunningly beautiful lady titan», Commander Pixis sniggered observing the titans that were gathering at the base of the wall. He had brought Syo and the kids on top of Wall Rose to have a private talk but in that moment he seemed more interested in the giant naked freaks down there.  
The woman knew by hearsay that the Commander of the Garrison was an eccentric man but she had never thought he could be the type to crack jokes at a time like that. She tried to get the old man's attention. «I have to admit you have some very interesting fantasies but why are we here?»  
Pixis calmly turned to her and gave her a soft smile. «Sorry, it was rude of me to drag you up here without an explanation». He walked up to Eren and looked down at him. «Boy… how do you do that?»  
The young cadet still looked a little dazed as he was kneeling on the ground, pinching the bridge of his nose. After a deep breath, he began to explain the Commander what had happened that day while everyone listened to him with interest. When the boy was done talking, the Commander moved again to the edge of the wall, his arms crossed on his chest while thinking. Syo too looked down at street below, where the most of the soldiers were now standing.  
They all looked very agitated and she could hear them shout and protest even from up there. There was one of them who looked particularly scared, throwing his hands over his head and screeching like an eagle, and Marco had to hold onto him to prevent him from running away. She couldn't help but snicker a bit at the scene. It was in that moment that a strange figure came out of an alley, catching her attention.  
The figure walked for some meters on the main street, leaning wearily against walls and stands, and she noticed it was wearing a black cloak and a hood. It stopped for a moment and looked around the place, then disappeared between two houses.  
Syo narrowed her eyes. _"Is that…?"  
_ Quickly, she turned to the Commander and excused herself. «I'm sorry sir but I need to check out a thing. I'll be back soon», she said taking the handles of the swords in her hands. The old man didn't even have the chance to answer that she had already jumped off the wall.

She landed right in front of the alley where he had disappeared in and ran after him. She found him standing in the middle of the road, looking up at the high wall in front of him. Taking off her hood she stepped closer. «Frank?»  
The man turned around sharply. As soon as he recognized her, he threw himself at her and began to shake her by her shoulders. «Syo, finally! I looked for you everywhere!», he yelled at her. His hood fell back on his shoulders, revealing a pale and terrified face and Syo could see the blood in his hair.  
«Frank, you're hurt… What happened?», she asked pushing him away from her. Franklin took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her.  
«Filippo…», he stuttered. Syo felt a shiver down her spine. She quickly took the paper and opened it, revealing a message for the Wrath.  
It didn't say much, just an address and an invite to go there. Syo's eyes shifted to the bottom of the paper where two initials were.  
«Who the fuck is P.G.?»  
«Some criminal we fought in the past, perhaps? I don't know», he said leaning against the nearby wall, «I don't remember anyone with those initials».  
Syo could feel her own heart pounding inside her chest. She passed her fingers through her hair and began to walk up and down the street. They had helped catching a lot of criminals during their vigilantes career and she couldn't remember everyone's names.  
Her eyebrows narrowed in anger at the thought that someone had taken Filippo away from them just to get to her. They were going to regret that.  
«How do you feel?», she asked her cousin, still looking at the paper.  
« I feel… dizzy».  
Her expression softened as she moved her eyes on him. «There's doctor in that building over there who already knows me. You can go and say the Wrath sent you».  
When Syo put her hood back on her face, Franklin fidgeted a bit. He asked her if she was really going to go alone but she didn't answer him. She was already running away. And she was mad.

Running through streets and alleys, Syo arrived to a small square at the limit of the city. She looked around in silence, waiting for an ambush at any time, but the place was completely desert. Before her, there was a shop with an old faded signboard dangling over the door, all the windows barricaded with wooden planks. That was the place where "P.G." wanted to meet her.  
She went to the door and tried to turn the handle but it was stuck. Carefully, she walked around the shop and entered a fairly large alley with what looked like the entrance of a basement at its end. Walking up to it, the woman heard someone following her but pretended she hadn't noticed. Even though she was itching to kick those kidnappers' ass, if she wanted to get Filippo back in one piece she had play along.  
Leaning over the manhole, Syo saw an old ruined ladder that led underground and when she put one foot on the first rung, it emitted a creepy creak that made her back up in fear that it would have broke. She proceeded to climb down with caution, trying not to put too much pressure on the rungs.  
At the end of the ladder, the woman found herself in front of a rotten door. It was ajar and she could see a lit lantern inside, placed on top of a table. Syo gave the door a little push and peeked inside. There must have been a lot of other lanterns in there because the room was very bright.

She opened the door a little more and as soon as the it moved, squeaking, she heard a light gasp and her eyes fell on a tiny figure tied up on a chair at the other end of the room, his blond hair all ruffled and a scared look on the dirtied face. Syo didn't think it twice and slammed the door open, running to him. «Filippo! Are you alright? What did they do to you?», she shouted, hugging him tight.  
The boy fidgeted and tried to back up. «Aunt… No!»  
Syo pulled away from him and placed her hands on his shoulders, checking for any injuries. There was a red mark on his left cheek and a cut on his lower lip that was still bleeding slightly. Anger was growing fast inside of her but she forced herself to stay calm. «What are you saying?»  
«They're here for you!»  
«I know», she stated untying the boy. He looked shocked by that information.  
«And yet you came here alone?!»  
Syo helped the kid up and made him climb on her back. «Don't worry, Fillie. Everything will be alright».  
Her steps echoed around the basement as she slowly approached the exit, stopping right in front of the ladder. She looked up at the entrance in silence as if she was waiting for someone. «They're here, aren't they?», Filippo whispered in her ear.  
Syo didn't answer him and kept looking up. «I can hear you, you know that?», she said jokingly. «C'mon, don't be shy». Feeling the boy tremble on her back, she gave him a light pat on his leg. After a minute they heard a feminine voice coming from up there.  
«Oh. So you did notice me». A woman leaned over entrance with a sinister smile on her face, her long brown hair falling forward, covering her left eye. «Nice to meet you again, Wrath».  
«Yeah, well… I'd say the same thing if I remembered you».  
«Don't worry, we have all the time to make you remember». The woman pulled out a gun as three armed men appeared by her side. She calmly lifted a hand and moved her hair away from her face, revealing a deep scar crossing her eye. «Go back inside, we have to talk about the compensation you owe me».  
Syo cursed under her breath, trying to slide Filippo lower behind her back. «You… at least let the boy go!», she yelled at the other woman who shook her head in response, gesturing one of her men to climb down the ladder.  
As soon as his foot touched the first rung, Syo had already rushed back into the basement and shut the door behind her, dropping the kid so she could use both her hands to keep it closed.  
When his feet suddenly hit the ground, the boy stumbled and almost fell on his ass. «Aunt...»  
«Look if you can find another exit!», she yelled.  
Startled by his aunt's shouting, Filippo frantically looked around the large room for a way out. From outside, someone started to hit and push the door but the Wrath held it firmly at its place. She could hear the other woman yelling at her lakeys and it annoyed her. «Shut up, Page!», she shouted against the door.  
«It's Mrs Gastlin for you, Wrath! Don't you know how to address a queen?», she asked scornfully.  
Syo clicked her tongue, looking over her shoulder to see what Filippo was doing. «I don't think a queen of human traffick can be considered an actual queen».  
The boy was shrugging at her, not having found any other exits.  
" _Shit! I have to think of something…"  
_ She clenched her teeth and turned to the door. «What do you want from me, Gastlin? What kind of compensation are you talking about?»  
Syo knew exactly what that woman was talking about but she needed to make her talk, to let Filippo more time to find a way out or at least a place to hide.  
«What do I want, you ask?», she giggled. «You must have a terrible memory, Wrath». The pounding against the door stopped and Gastlin's voice became closer. «Stop playing dumb, Masaru! You fucking blew my house up… my house and my husband! And I was stuck in the prison's infirmary for weeks because of my eye! All because of your brilliant idea of throwing molotovs through my window».  
«I was just trying to drive you out of there! Who the fuck keeps crates full of gunpowder inside their livingroom? I...»  
Syo stopped midsentence, realizing that Mrs. Gastlin had just called her by her surname. She looked at Filippo who stared back at her in shock until his aunt managed to whisper an order. «Hide!»  
«You're going to fight them?», he asked worried.  
«They know who I am! Of course I'm going to fight them!»  
The bangs on the door started again and Filippo ran around the place for a good minute before he could find a good hiding spot, an old wooden wardrobe in a corner of the room. He climbed inside it and closed the shutters, observing the scene outside from a crack in the wood.

When the men launched themselves against the door Syo moved away, letting them break into the room. The first one directed his fist towards her but she was quick at dodging it and grabbed him by his long beard, throwing him against the wall. His companions then attacked her together but she knelt down and made them trip by kicking their feet. One of them was already getting up when Syo jumped on top of him, grabbing him by his collar, and began to punch on the head. At first she just wanted to make him unconscious but as she was beating him, the Wrath felt a strange shiver down her spine and her hand moved by itself, unable to stop. It was kind of satisfying to see that man, one of those who had hurt her nephew, begging for pity under her fists.  
Continuing to rage on the man, Syo took a quick look around the room to see where Page was and spotted her behind the door, observing the scene with both anger and fear in her expression. When she looked back at the man in her hands the side of his face was covered in blood, as well as her fist. Her hand immediately stopped moving when she realized how deformed his skull looked. She hadn't realized how hard she was hitting him until that moment.  
She was so distracted by the horrible view before her that she didn't noticed the two forms crawling up behind her. Suddenly, the bearded man appeared in front of her while the other managed to block her arms behind her back and something hard began to fall on her face over and over again.  
Instinctively, she raised up a foot and kicked blindly before her, hitting the man's stomach hard enough to throw him on the ground. With a swift motion she stuck her foot between the legs of the man behind her and made him trip, freeing herself. She took a moment to touch her aching face only to find out that a bleeding cut had opened on her left cheek.  
When the men tried to get up, the Wrath quickly put them down with a kick on their heads and turned to their boss. Page squealed at the sight of the Wrath coming in her direction and took out her gun. «Don't move, you monster! Don't fucking move!»  
Syo raised her hands above her head, slowing down. «Calm down, Gastlin. Don't make me angry and I may even take you out of here in one piece». Even though her voice was calm, Syo's eyes scared Page.  
The woman looked ready to shoot when a wooden board appeared behind her and fell on top of her head, much to Syo's surprise. Page fell on her knees, revealing the kid holding the board. «Filippo, let's go!», Syo exclaimed grabbing his wrist and running towards the door, but not even a second passed that she felt the boy escaping her grip. She turned around to see Page dragging him back by his leg while pointing the gun at her. The Wrath's first instinct was to jump at her and snatch the kid out of her hands but Fillippo reacted first, kicking Page's chin and making her loosen her grip. Syo took advantage of that moment and pounced on her while Filippo ran away.  
When she saw the Wrath's figure coming at her, the woman panicked and fired multiple bullets which flew all around the room. Syo heard Filippo scream in fear behind her before she could reach Page and grab her by wrists, making her drop the gun. Mrs Gastlin was paralyzed, staring at her with horror in her eyes until the Wrath decided to take her out with a headbutt.  
A trickle of blood leaked from her nose as she fell unconscious on the floor and Syo could finally take a moment to breath. That woman was tougher than she remembered. «Alright, I think we did it», she panted kneeling down beside Page. «We have to take her to the police. Can you come with me or do you want to see a doctor before?»  
Instead of a real answer, what she received was a high pitched whine. She turned around but couldn't see Filippo anywhere. Taking off her hood, Syo looked for him around the room until another groan made her lower her eyes on the ground. There, before her, a small body was merely moving in a pool of blood.


End file.
